Marble game apparatus



July 20,1937;

K. c. sHYvERs 2,087,799

MARBLE GAME APPARATUS Filed Oct. 12, 1935 ff'y 19 Z0 Patented July 20, 1937 UNITED ST'TES TENT Kenneth C. Shyvers, Chicago, 111., assignor of forty per cent to B. P. Higby, Peoria, Ill.

Application October 12, 1935, Serial No. 44,666

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a game apparatus, and more particularly to that classed as pin and marble game boards, and the main object thereof is to provide an apparatus of this kind which introduces a fascinating development in the projection of the marbles.

A further object of the invention is to materialize the said development in the form of cannon-like units which impel such of the marbles 10 which become located in front of the units, this action being automatic.

A still further object of the invention is to render the projection of the marbles automatic by building the impelling units with electrical controls actuated by the marbles.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a device of the character described automatic electrically actuated means for reprojecting upon the playing field marbles which have transversed said field, said automatic reprojecting means being responsive to movement of the marbles on the field.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which will be simple in construction, assembly and operation, which may be produced along lines convenient for low cost manufacture. and which will be highly eflicient for carrying out the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in-the accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form,

proportion. size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. a

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of'my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which when considered in connection with the following description, my invention. its mode of construction, as-

sembly and operation. and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawing in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a game apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig.

1: and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of an electrical circuit employed in the apparatus.

In the development of the many pin games now on the market. the counter, ball or marble deposited by the player usually follows a course 10 determined by its speed, the inclination of the board and the obstacles or guides located thereon. In other words, the marble proceeds on its course without any new aid or impetus except for a possible rebound from the obstacle. This, 15 however, adds little. if any, forceto keep that marble going, and its progress again becomes dependent on an inclination of the board. In fact, this inclination forces by gravity the marble towards lower and lower levels with the more 20 frequent chance for it to drop into an out-hole or become lost. In the development of the present apparatus, it has been the intent to renew and prolong the activity of each marble, thereby greatly enhancing its scoring possibilities. 25

In accordance with the foregoing, the apparatus of the present embodiment includes the usual inclined board Ill provided with a suitable playing surface, which board is disposed within a suitable casing having a glass top whereby ac- 3O cess may not be had to' the playing surface. The board I0 is provided with a plurality of score holes or pockets I2 and an arrangement of pins or studs l3 consistent with the layout of the game. 35

The board has the usualperforated slide I4 disposed below the same, which slide is shown in its clearing position in Fig. 2, whereby the marbles disposed on the playing field may be permitted to drop into a return chute E5. The 40 apparatus has associated with it a suitable coin chute of conventional construction designated generally by the reference characters "5 as well as a projecting plunger designated by the reference character l'l Associated with the device is also a suitable elevating means of any desired construction (not shown) for the purpose of elevating the marbles or balls in position for actuation by the plunger I1 50 With the game board inclined as shown, a. marble or counter at. the upper end may roll into either of two archways H5. The floor under each arch supports a spring blade H having rear branches ll secured to the board by screws or 55 other fastening means. The fore part of the blade is slightly elevated and is disposed directly above a contact post 18 securely lodged in the board. It follows that the passage of the marble through the arch l6 causes the blade I! to become depressed and bear on the contacting post 18, thereby closing a switch in an electrical circuit employed with the game apparatus as hereinafter described.

The switch above referred to is in circuit with and has the effect of actuating a solenoid 19 encased in a miniature cannon structure 29, said solenoid having its plunger at I9 constructed and arranged to be projected from the solenoid with a rapid stroke so as to constitute a striker. The plunger I9 is returned to its inactive position by a spring arranged within the solenoid casing (not shown), this occurring as soon as the marble has rolled off the switch H.

The solenoids i9 are arranged in a pair near the sides of the board and adjacent the center of the board and near its lower end is arranged another pair of solenoids designated by the reference character 2 I, said last mentioned solenoids being constructed substantially identical with the previous pair, but as shown in Fig. 1, are spaced more closely in lateral relation. The switches or circuit closers for actuating the solenoids 2| are arranged so that they will'be actuated by the marble approaching the solenoid whereby the said marble is immediately reprojected. In the embodiment illustrated, each switch consists of an angle lever which is pivoted at 22 in the corner of its angle and presents one arm 22 in front of the solenoid 2| in a position below the plunger thereof, and the other arm 22 of the switch lever terminates opposite the fixed contact post 23. Thus, when the arm 22 is moved towards the solenoid, the arm 22 will make an electrical contact with the post 23 energizing the solenoid.

When the player starts a marble on its way by imparting desired momentum thereto by means of the plunger .i'l the marble proceeds along the usual runway 11 at the side of the board, traveling past a return check I! and rounding the curve H0 at the upperend of the board. If the marble stops in the center it may proceed downwardly and roll into any of the score pockets located in the center field of the board and rated in points as marked.

On the other hand, should the marble take a lateral course, it will run through one of the arches i6 and then into the center of the board. Here it may find a score pocket or proceed downwardly on the playing field to be deposited between a pair of guide strips 24 constituting a chamber leading to'one of the solenoids 2|. In approaching the latter, the marble will first meet and impinge upon the plunger of the solenoid, which plunger will in turn yield and engage the arm 22, thereby closing the contact between the arm 22 and post 23 with the result that the solenoid associated with the particular switch just closed will be energized and will immediately impart a quick stroke to its plunger. This actua- I tion of the plunger will deliver an impulse to the marble and reproject it with more or less speed into the field of score pockets for a new chance to score.

It has been found by actual experiment that the slower the speed of the marble in approaching the solenoid the more rapid and forceful will be the impact of the plunger with the marble,

this being due to the fact that a slow marble will hold the contact between thearm 22 and post 23 somewhat longer than a fast one and thereby prolong the period during which the impelling energy of the solenoid is active upon the plunger.

Should a counter or marble lodge in front of one of the solenoids or cannon l9, it will remain there until a subsequently projected marble passes through the corresponding archway l6.

When this occurs, the solenoid i9 is energized, and the first marble is reprojected therefrom, and will strike the curved guide 25. It may then find its way into the alley or runway 26, or will roll back over the board along some other path, and may enter a scoring pocket. Thus one ball is automatically reprojected by the engagement of another ball with a control device.

The electrical diagram of Fig. 3 is self-explanatory, a battery for energizing the solenoids being indicated at 21 and it will be seen that I-have provided an apparatus which introduces the fascinating element of the automatic miniature cannons which are adapted for re-projecting a marble towards the field of activity with a new chance of entering one of the score pockets provided on said playing field. The novel apparatus herein disclosed will greatly enhance the interest in the game and will also tend to speed up the game by adding greatly to the useful period of each marble.

The apparatus is, therefore, an ingenious and interesting departure from pin, game devices now on the market and may be played and handled with ease by the average person, since it does not involve any more manual attention than pin games of the common variety.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and manyv of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a game device amember defining a playing field, means for projecting counters upon the playing field, automatic electrically actuated means for reprojecting upon the playing field counters which have traversed said field, means responsive to movement of counters on the playing field for initiating operation of the automatic reprojection means, andmeans for actuating said reprojection means to reproject the counter which initiates operation thereof.

,.J 2. In a game of the character described, the

combination of an elongated, longitudinally inclined playing board formed with a longitudinal series of marble retaining pockets, means for projecting a group of marbles, one at a time, to the upper end of the board for gravitation down the latter, a control on the board and adapted to be actuated by a descending marble, and means energized by the control to impel the marble in return direction so that it rolls up the board.

3. The combination with a game board having a ballreceiving chamber, and electro-magnetlc means operatively associated with said chamber and energized by a ball entering into the same for automatically ejecting the ball therefrom.

4. The combination with a game board of a ball-repropelling device adjacent said-board and positioned to receive balls therefrom and adapted to give a new impulse to balls to repropel them along the surface of said board, electro-magnetic of current, and a normally open ball-actuated circuit closer connected with said source of current for energizing said electro-magnetic means.

5. The combination with an inclined game board, of a normally open ball actuated circuit closer adjacent said board and positioned to be engaged by a ball rolling down the same, a striker adjacent said circuit closer, electro-magnetic means for actuating said striker, and a source of current connected with said circuit closer and electro-magnetic means whereby, when said circuit closer is engaged by said ball, said electromagnetic means is energized and said striker caused to deliver an impulse to said ball to repropel the ball over the board.

6. In a game'of the character described, the

combination of an elongated, longitudinally inclined playing board, means for projecting a ball toward the upper end of the boardfor gravitation down the same, a normally open switch positioned to be engaged and closed by the ball rolling down said board, an electromagnetically operated striker adjacentand immediately below said switch, and a source of current connected with said switch, whereby, when said switch is engaged by said ball, said electromagnetically operated striker is caused to reproject the same upwardly over the board.

7. In a game of the character described, the combination of an elongated, longitudinally inclined playing board, means for projecting a ball toward the upper end of the board for gravitation down the same, a normally open switch positioned to be engaged and closed by the ball rolling down said board, and electromagnetic means,

energized by the closing of said switch, for reprojecting said ball upwardly over the board.

8. The combination with an elongated, longitudinally inclined playing board,,of means for projecting a ball toward the upper end of. the

board for gravitation down the same, a ball strik- 

